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A scream echoed around us, and Indy took off after the sound. We passed a trail sign, but I was moving too quickly to read it. There was a flash of red in the distance before a demon took off into the dense brush.
Indy slowed as we approached a body on the path and my heart clenched in my chest. The orb light revealed the lifeless form of a young man sprawled out on the ground. He couldn’t have been much older than Caleb, and my motherly instincts kicked in.
The young man’s clothes were tattered and dirty, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy that seemed to surround him. He wore a worn-out leather jacket, faded jeans, and scuffed runners. His face was frozen in a state of eternal stillness, making it clear he had met a violent end.
But it was his eyes that sent shivers down my spine. They should have been dull, and lifeless, like the rest of him. Instead, they glowed an unnatural shade of red, like embers burning in the darkness. Those crimson orbs seemed to pierce through the night, holding secrets that no one should ever have to know.
“What the hell?” Indy whispered.
I knelt down beside him, my hand trembling as I reached out to push his lip up, revealing a small, pointed fang. “He was going through transition. He is a demon hybrid.”
Daryn cursed under his breath. “How did the king get hisessence topside? I thought there was no way to infect mundanes with his blood anymore.”
I stared at the dead young man’s face. It was twisted in anger, frozen in death and pain. “The question isn’t how he did it. It’s why he is infecting the hybrids, only to send demons to kill them. These are his children. He should want to build his army. Not destroy it.”
Indy stared at the body. “They led us away so one of them could kill this hybrid. This is... wrong.”
I knew she meant the tactics of the demons and not the actual killing. “What was the hybrid doing out here? Do you think he was alone?”
Daryn called on his magic. It pulsed around us like a sonic boom before another scream pierced the air. We raced toward the mountain that loomed in the distance. Our boots thumped against the pathway as the sound echoed again.
We left the pathway, following the source of the sound with our senses on high alert. The haunting scream that had shattered the night still echoed in my ears, a chilling reminder of the demons that lurked in the shadows.
Silent communication passed between Daryn and me as we followed the meager trail that had led us from the path. The dense brush threatened to slow our progress, but we pushed through relentlessly. Foliage scraped against my pants and jacket, snagging on the light material as we pushed on.
When I began to think we had gone the wrong way, we stumbled upon a cave hidden within the tangle of vegetation. The granite mouth opened like the maw of some ancient, malevolent beast. With cautious steps, we approached the cave’s entrance, our weapons ready. As we drew nearer, I caught a glimpse of red eyes flickering in the darkness, like coals burning in the blackness.
With a deep breath, we moved forward, our steps echoing off the cold, damp stone walls of the cave as we entered. The redeyes watched us, unblinking, their glow revealing nothing of the creature they belonged to. Our hearts pounded in our chests as we neared the source of the scream.
Indy held up her hand and stopped our progress. The red eyes continued to stay a distance from us, despite our incursion into the cave. She pointed at the bodies ahead of her. “There are two more dead.”
We approached cautiously, but the small fangs and red eyes confirmed they were hybrids.
Daryn knelt down and put his fingers to the young man’s neck. “This is a fresh kill. Is there any chance they are feeding from these things?”
Kaine glanced back at the cave entrance. “I suppose it’s possible, but that doesn’t explain why the hybrids are changing.”
Daryn stood up. “They are deliberately avoiding us and killing hybrids.”
Indy sheathed her weapon. “They won’t attack us. This is a clusterfuck of epic proportions. How am I supposed to fill my bingo card?”
Kaine grunted. “Really Indy? That’s your takeaway. The chances of you finding the few rare demons you need to fill your card are slim to none, anyway.”
Indy grunted. “You’re just sour because I am winning.”
I frowned. “They can’t be feeding on a few hybrids. Where do these tunnels lead?”
Daryn shook his head. “There are dozens of tunnels in here. We can’t use our tech deep in the caves. The demons have an advantage here, and I’m not risking our lives. We will station hunters at all known cave entrances. We will get them when they leave.”
Indy huffed. “I never thought I would be playing hide and seek with demons. What the hell is going on?”
CHAPTER 11
Daryn stared at the body of the young man. “Grab him. We need to know if these things are the same hybrids the king created.” A slight breeze brushed through the cave, like fingers of death.
Daryn grabbed hold of the young man’s shoulders, his face a mask of determination, securing them firmly. Across from him, Kaine secured the man’s ankles with a firm grip. Together, they lifted the lifeless body from the cold cave floor with a seamless efficiency that came from years of experience. One every hunter possessed.
Indy and I followed closely behind, our weapons ready, but our hearts heavy with the knowledge that we were retrieving the remains of a young soul who had been caught in the unforgiving grip of the supernatural.
